Mechanical pencil



Nov. 8, 1955 J. AVERSA MECHANICAL PENCIL Filed April 4, 1952 R RE V Y Tam :N R vm m mE m J Y A.

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United AStates Patent O 2,722,913 MECHANICAL PENCn Joseph Aversa,Brooklyn, N. Y. Application April 4, 1952seria1 No. 280,525 2 Claims.(Cl. 12o-1s) This invention relates to mechanical pencils.

Among the objects of the present invention it is aimed to provide animproved mechanical pencil including in addition tothe pencil tip yandcap, as the lead controlling mechanism, merely a casing, clutchforgripping the lead and cooperating with the casing and actuator eitherto control the length, if any, ofthe protruding portionA of the lead orelse to eject `the lead entirely. Y v y Itis a further object of thepresent invention to provide` a three piece control for the leadA of amechanical pencil including a casing, a spiral actuator, and a clutch,in which the casing is providedwith a longitudinally ex tending slot tocooperate with the clutch. to insure its movement along the barrel bythe cooperation of the clutch with the spiral actuator when rotated, andin which such slotextends beyond the spiral actuatorto receive a partofthe clutch clear of the spiral `actuator and enable the other part ofthe clutch to eject or expel the lead.

More specifically, it isa still further object of the present inventionto provide a plastic casing to cooperate with a cap or control finger atone end, to receive a pencil tip at the other end and cooperate with aspiral actuator and aclutch, characterized by a` groove formed in oneend of the casing to .receivel the `bead of a metal ferrule rolled intothe same andV allowing free rotation of the ferrule relative to thecasing, a tirst bore at the otherend of the casing to receive thediminished end of the pencil tip in relatively immovable relation `tothe casing, a second bore formed in the casing to receive the spiralactuator, and a longitudinally extending slot formed in the casingreceding from the secondbore and extending beyond the second bore at oneend thereof to receive lthe pro-` jection or projections of the clutchextending through the spiral opening lin `the actuator, `and` theportion of the longitudinally extending slot extending beyond the secondbore enabling one of the projections of the lclutch to clear the spiralvactuator and thus enable the'other projection to continue to beactuated to eject the lead.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages ofthe inventionwill appear from the subjoined detailed description of one specificembodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFig. l is a side elevation of a mechanical pencil made according to thepresent invention partly broken away and partly in section showing thelead in position to be used for writing.

Fig. 2 is a similar side elevation showing the clutch in nal ejectingposition after the lead has been ejected or expelled from the penciltip.

Fig. 3 is a section of the casing detached.

ln the embodiment shown, the casing 1 composed as an instance of athermal plastic material, such as cellulose acetate, cellulose acetatebutyrate, ethyl cellulose,

or the like, is formed with a long central bore 2, a short central bore3, and an intermediate diminished bore or opening 4, defined from thebore 2 by the shoulder 5 and from the bore 3 by the shoulder 6.

a spiral actuator, .and av ICC Preferably the portion of the casing 1adjacent to the bore 3 is tapered as shown at 7. The portion 8 at theother end of the casing 1 is diminished as compared to the portion 9,and furthermore is cylindrical in its outer contour as distinguishedfrom polygonal in cross section as is the case in the present instancewith the portion 9. The diminished portion 8 in the present instance isprovided with an annular groove 10 and from the outer free end of thediminished portion 8 up to and beyond the shoulder 5, the casing 1 isprovided with a longitudinally extending recess or slot 11 recedingoutwardly from the inner periphery of the bore 2 and extending beyondthe shoulder 5 up to the shoulder 12, a distance at least equal to thewidth of the projection 13. The groove 10, bores 2, 3 and 4 and slot 11may be cut into the casing 1 if it is composed of a thermal plasticmaterial in accordance with accepted conventional machine shop practice,and on the other hand, in some instances, molded, extruded or diepressed, or at least partly molded, extruded or die pressed.

The pencil tip 113 is preferably composed of a suit n able metal, suchas brass, and has a diminished cylindrical portion 14 frictionallypressed into the bore 3 with its shoulder 15 abutting against theouterannual face 16 of the portion 7. From the shoulder 15, the tip 113Vextends outwardly in the tapered conical portion 17. The

tip 113, as shown, preferably has an enlarged bore 18 to receive thesplit tubular portion 19 of the clutch and a narrow bore 2d, too narrowto receive the portion 19, but sufficiently large to clear the strip 21of the clutch.

The spiral actuator 22 is preferably composed of a suitable metal, suchas brass, and consists of a wound strip formed to leave a spiral openingor slot 23 between successive portions of the strip to receive theprojections 24 and 13 of the clutch. This actuator 22 corresponds inlength to the distance from the shoulder 5 to the outer free end of thediminished portion S, one end of which has secured thereto, as aninstance by welding, see the cylindrical metal plug 26, composed of asuitable metal such as brass, so that the end thrust, when extending oradvancing the strip 21, will be taken up by the reaction of the bead 28of the cap 27 in the annular groove 10 of the casing 1, and whenwithdrawing the strip 21 the end thrust will be distributed between thereaction of the shoulder 5 on the front free end of the actuator 22 andby the plug 26 on the rear free end of the casing 1. The outer peripheryof this plug 26 has a friction fit with the inner periphery of the cap27 which is composed-of a suitable sheet metal tubular material, such asbrass.

When so frictionally iit into the cap 27, the plug 26 willi Vrotate withthe cap 27, and in turn since the spiral actul ator 22 is fixed to theplug 26, the actuator 22 will be rotated with the cap 27.

The cap 27 in turn may be anchored against longitudinal displacement butmerely rotatable on the diminished portion 8 by the bead 23 of the cap27 rolled into the groove 10. Preferably as shown, the outer free end ofthe cap 27 has fitted into the same the cylindrical rubber plug 29,partly protruding from the cap 27 as shown, to serve as an eraser inaccordance with convention.

The clutch 3l) consists essentially of the split outer tubular portion19 from which, and integral with the portion 19, the projection 13extends radially outwardly and the strip 21 slidably mounted in thetubular portion 19 from which extends outwardly the projection 24, thestrip 21 being captured in the portion 19 due to the cooperation of theshort auxiliary front projection 133 and the main projection 13 in onedirection and the cooperation of the shoulder 119 and the shortauxiliary rear projection 124 in the opposite direction. The shortauxiliary front projection 133 is part of the strip 21 and disposedimmediately in front of the main rear projection 24; and tlie shortvauxiliary" rear projection 124 is part of the strip 21A and'v disposed'immediately to thel rear-y off the main projection 24. The mainprojection 24, as well as the auxiliary projections 133 and 124 extendthrough the'axially: extending slot 12T formed between thefmairr front*`projection 13 and theshoulder 119; of the tubularportion"1-9`: Theportions` 21" and 19" of the clutcli'S'Oare composedofl asuitable-metal,such` as brass; The'projections 13 and 214`r are preferablynarrow enoughlongitudinally-of the casing 1` toclear' the width-of the'v spiralgroove'ZS Consequently, in accordance-'with con'- vention` the clutclr30isthreadedinto operative'relation with theactuator 22 wherethe'projections 13 and 24 are spacedfom one another'by successive spacedapart'portions of-'tliespiral groove-23 as shown inV Fig. 1. O'n' theother hand; when the cap 2'/VA is turned' to' actuate the actuator-222,and therebyinturnA to actuate thel projection 13`-iinto1tlieclearanceportion of the slot 11, between the endfofthefspiral' actuator 22" andthe shoulder 12 where tlie'=projection13fclears^thespiral actuator 22,and the rotation-of' the cap 2'7y isthen continued, then thevprojection24 will beactuated toward the projection 13 until it engages"the-auxiliary projection 133 as shown in Fig. 2

where the strip 21 will move into a position where it'will partliIprotrudefrom theV tip 113 and eject the lead 33, theepositionshown inFig. 2.

Obviously' the plug' 26 may assume any number of conformations forconnection to the spiral actuator 22 without'l departing from the spiritof the invention. In tliepresent instance the plug 26 is provided with adiminisled-portion 34lwhich extends intothe spiral actuator 22asl'sliown in Fig. 2` and is soldered in place as shown by the upsetmetal' accumulation 3S.

Although the dimensions of the several parts may of course varywithoutdeparting from the general spirit of2 the invention, it isbelieveddesirable to mention that excellent resultshave been achieved when thediameter oftheboreliof' thepencil, tip 113 is about .050 inch toclearthe-leadS-S having a diameter of about .046 inch,

andthe-width ofthe-strip 21'has a Width of about .046I

inchi hir-'turn` the bore-180i the pencil tip 113 in this case will beabout .070'l inch in diameter, when the outer diameter ofi the tubularIportion 19 isY about .063 inch.

It is obvious' that various changes and modifications may 'bev made tothe details of construction without departing fromr the general spiritofthe invention as set forth inthe `appended claims;

1'. I'namechanical pencil, a casing composed of a thermal'V plasticmaterial having' a rear end' andI a front end," said casing having' allong central wide cylindrical bore open through saidrear: end, a shortcentral' wide cylin'diicai bore open through said front end, and anintermediateshort central narrow cylindrical bore affordin'g'cornmunication between said. wide bores terminating in front and rearannular, radially extending shoulders,

one another, there being a single elongated groove extending the fulllength of the long central bore and having a portion extending for ashort distance along the intermediate narrow bore, said groove extendingradially outward from said long wide bore and said intermediate narrowbore, a metal pencil'ltiprliaving a central bore frictionally fittinginto the short. wide. bore. of said casing, a tubular sheetmetala'ctuator 'having' a'spiral clearance correspondingin effective.vlenghthfto,4 said; long wide bore and at its front end engaging saidrear shoulder, a metal plug fixedly securedf'totherear endofsaidactuator engaging the rear end of: said casing; means rotatablyanchoring said plug to the rear end of said casing, and a clutch for thewriting lead including a tubular portion having a front main projection,a rear shoulder, and an axially extending slot between said front mainprojection and said latter' rearshoulder, a strip`1 slidalilyA mountedin' said-l tubularl portion and' having ,a're'armain' projection, an'auxiliary* short frontJ projection'l in front of said-v rear mainprojectionl` and an=v auxiliary-` shortl rear' projection to`the-rea'rof-i said'frear main projection, all extending throughisaidslt; and said strip beingfcapturedin said tubularf portion by=thecooperation of4 saidA front main projection andisaidlftr'ontauxiliary'projccti'on on' the' one hand and by said latter shoulder andsaid rear auxiliary'l projection '-on tlieother` hand,"A said'tront andrear main projections' extending'into'said groove, said' tubularportion" and said stript bitingj movablein said actuator' andactuatabllalongjsaid actuator' by they cooperation of`said"front-1and"'rear main projections with* saidl spiral clearance, the`frontmainl projectionlconfrming in" length' tothe' portion of saidjelongated groove extending along said intermediatenarrorv'v'y boreA toenable said front main projectionwlien received int-said'latter'portionof said elongatedfgrooveto clear* said spiral' clearance; the rearAmain" projection beinghaxia'lly'movable relative to the front main-fprojection when-said* front main projection enters" said portion'y ottlief groove' receding fromv said intermedi'ate central' bore,l and-Vsaid front main' projection and saidfffront auxiliaryprojection-'maintaining saidrear main RefrencesiCtdinthe lle' of-'thispatent UNITED* ysrif'rns' PATENTS 2,265,152; traum Dec. 9.1941

